Aging Hejduk hardly seems aged

Throughout his career, even as it seems he's flipping the pages
on the calendar more rapidly, Frankie Hejduk has always exuded a
sense of youthfulness.

His career, of course, he has always taken seriously. But
generally speaking, Hejduk has a blithe attitude toward life. At
the core of the Cardiff native is a laid-back surfer dude, whose
idea of bliss is spending every day at the beach, catching some
waves and indulging in the sounds of Bob Marley.

He's like a young spirit without a care in the world.

Which makes it strange that since U.S. men's national team coach
Bob Bradley named Hejduk to the roster for the CONCACAF Gold Cup -
beginning Thursday at the Home Depot Center in Carson - the San
Dieguito High alumnus has had to field questions about his age,
something he has never even pondered until it was brought to his
attention constantly during the past week.

"Its funny because I keep on hearing that question, but I'm not
really listening to it," said Hejduk, who turns 33 later this
summer. "I still feel like I'm 23. I'm a firm believer that age is
just a number.

"I'm still going to be joking around. I'm still me, still SoCal,
still going to bring my surfboard to camp (in Carson). I don't know
if Bob wants to hear that, but if he lets me (surf), that's cool.
It's worked for me so far to work my hardest on the field and be
myself off of it. That won't change."

Hejduk's age is even more of a focal point because of his
health. Just two days after Hejduk was named to his third World Cup
roster on April 27, 2006, he suffered the dreaded torn anterior
cruciate ligament injury during an MLS game with the Columbus
Crew.

It took eight months of rehabilitation before Hejduk was able to
run full speed. The only matches he has played since are the nine
so far this season with the Crew, with whom he has performed
exceptionally well as a defender.

Considering everything that has happened to him during the past
year, Hejduk was taken aback when Bradley summoned him to national
team duty for the Gold Cup.

"It was a little bit of a surprise," said Hejduk, who has earned
72 caps during an 11-year career. "Coming off an ACL surgery last
year and just getting in my first games with MLS this season, then
to have it come so quickly was a bit of a surprise definitely."

Bradley said his decision to bring Hejduk on board was based on
his play in MLS this season.

"I've tried to look closely at MLS games this year, and I
believe Frankie has played very well," Bradley said. "He's a very
good competitor and a guy that can come into this team with the
ability to really help us in this tournament."

Having the same questions tossed his way all week about his
health and age, Hejduk feels he has his share of doubters now. It
doesn't bother him. It only inspires him to prove those skeptics
wrong.

"I bet a lot of people on the other side would think that I'm
done. And that motivates me," Hejduk said. "I believe in myself as
a player, always have. That's why I've gotten to where I got in my
career, not being cocky, but confident in my ability."

As Hejduk put in the hours of rehab to recover from his knee
injury last year, the post-World Cup retirements of Claudio Reyna,
Brian McBride and Eddie Pope - national team stalwarts for more
than a decade - were announced within a two-week span. It could
have been the perfect time for Hejduk to follow suit had it ever
crossed his mind.

Instead, since he had a third World Cup taken from him, Hejduk
vowed to do whatever it took to reach another, no matter how
unlikely an appearance in the 2010 Cup seemed.

"It was a goal in the back of my mind to be on the 2010 World
Cup team," Hejduk said. "As a professional athlete, you want to set
high goals. Is it a long shot? Maybe. But you got to live in the
moment."

Mt. Carmel High alumnus Steve Cherundolo (back) and former San
Diego State standout Jimmy Conrad (hamstring) were kept off the
Gold Cup roster because of injury. … Poway High alumnus Marvell
Wynne set up Danny Dichio's goal in the ninth minute of Toronto
FC's 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids on Saturday. It was
Wynne's first assist of the season.

He's on fire

No player is hotter in MLS right now than Kansas City Wizards
forward Eddie Johnson.

Johnson earned his second hat trick in as many games on
Saturday, leading Kansas City to a 3-2 victory against the New York
Red Bulls.

Johnson, who netted his first career hat trick against the New
England Revolution the previous week, scored in the 46th, 59th and
85th minute against the Red Bulls and, in the process, took over
the league lead in goals with nine.

"I wasn't going to be happy unless we got three points tonight,"
Johnson told reporters after the game. "The whole team helped out.
It wasn't just one guy or two guys tonight and it wouldn't be
happening without the hard work we put into preparing for the
season."

- Simon Samano

More MLS

Joseph Ngwenya scored a goal from 22 yards out in the 66th
minute to give the host Houston Dynamo a 2-1 victory over FC Dallas
on Sunday.

Ricardo Clark and Corey Ashe assisted on the winning goal.
Ngwenya dribbled up the middle of the field, drawing Dallas goal
keeper Dario Sala far from the goal, before kicking it past
him.

Defending MLS champion Houston improved it all-time record
against Dallas to 3-1-1, and snapped a three-match losing
streak.

In the only other MLS game Sunday, the Chicago Fire beat the
visiting Columbus Crew 3-2.

Happy return

The English national team is glad to have David Beckham back.
But his return there could limit his MLS time.

Beckham played with the national team Friday for the first time
since the World Cup quarterfinal loss to Portugal last July 1 in
Germany, and he received the loudest cheers from the crowd of
88,745 in the new 90,000-seat Wembley stadium, which took more than
six years to build and cost $1.57 billion.

England tied Brazil 1-1 in the exhibition game.

It was Beckham's 95th game for England and he can get closer to
the 100 mark Wednesday in a European Championship qualifier at
Estonia. After that, England is off until an Aug. 22 exhibition
against Germany at Wembley.

If he's chosen for the Germany game, Beckham likely will have
been with the Galaxy for only three MLS games before returning to
England. After that, England has qualifiers set for Sept. 8 and 12,
Oct. 13 and 17 and Nov. 21.